


A Long Way Home

by Floris_Oren



Series: Shelter from the Storm [1]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Abducted by Aliens, Broken Bones, Calliroe is my alien OC, Drax has fun beating people up, Gamora just wants them to stop doing stupid stuff, Hurt Tony, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, OC Alien Society, Peter Quill has his work cut out for him, Post CA:CW, Pre-Thanos, Rocket and Groot blow stuff up too, Slow Burn, Super duper science fiction plot line, among other's, these tags make no sense, tony stark is a badass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-04-13 16:55:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14116782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Floris_Oren/pseuds/Floris_Oren
Summary: “He looks in bad shape.” Rocket said. Tapping Tony’s cheek. Who groaned.“Okay, okay, where’s the med kit?” the other male voice said. “We don’t have time to explain right now.”Tony opened his eyes in time to see a green female hovering over him. She shined something in his eyes, then the visage of a male human took over. “What?”“Sorry about this, Stark, we don’t mean you any harm. So don’t worry. We just need you for a little while.” then Tony felt a prick in his neck and everything went wavy and then dark.





	1. Held onto hope like a noose

**Author's Note:**

> My longer guardians/ironman fic is HERE. Yay. :) I will def be working on this as my rl schedule will allow. Updates will be sporadic. but I am gonna do my best to finish this before starting another multi chaptered fic. This fic is also based not he Song "Long Way from Home" by the Lumineers and will use some lyrics and chapter titles.  
> I dunno, I just really liked the idea.

~*~  
1\. Held onto Hope like a Noose   
~*~

“How do we get it off him?” a voice asked, the coldness had seeped on through the unpowered suit. Tony had his eyes closed, waiting and waiting….for what he didn’t know; he wasn’t certain if he wanted death or a rescue. Destiny took it out of his hands and so it looks like a rescue. 

“I found this lever thing-a-ma-jig?” a deeper voice said. “Should I pull it?” 

“No. we don’t know what it does.” a female voice objected. 

“I am groot…?” 

“He’s right, we don’t know what it does until we pull it.” the former deeper voice said. 

“Rocket!” the female again. But then the suite came apart around him and Tony groaned as he was revealed. 

“Ha! See I told you it was Stark, just the man we are looking for.” the first said boldly. Happily. That was new. No one was too happy to see him, well, unless he counted his very old friends Pepper, Happy and Rhodey. 

“He looks in bad shape.” Rocket said. Tapping Tony’s cheek. Who groaned. 

“Okay, okay, where’s the med kit?” the other male voice said. “We don’t have time to explain right now.” 

Tony opened his eyes in time to see a green female hovering over him. She shined something in his eyes, then the visage of a male human took over. “What?” 

“Sorry about this, Stark, we don’t mean you any harm. So don’t worry. We just need you for a little while.” then Tony felt a prick in his neck and everything went wavy and then dark. 

~*~

“Whoa, that was a close one. Imagine if we got here any later.” Peter said; holding Stark’s head gently as he put the injector away.

“Yeah, whatever fight took place here had to be epic.” Rocket said. He was already directing a slightly taller Groot to help him gather the red and gold armor. 

“Let’s get him on the ship.” Gamora said. 

“Yeah, and see how badly hurt he is. He can’t work in this condition.” Peter said, disappointed that they didn’t find the genius in a better way. 

~*~

Waking was a different matter altogether than being forced into a nightmare sleep; images of the Chitauri invasion ships flying over New York, the caves of Afghanistan, Yinsen dying all over again. He woke with panicked breaths of...nothing? 

He couldn’t breathe or see his body hurt like hell though, so he was still alive. But something blocked up his lungs, nose and mouth. A hand on his cheek and a gentle shushing noise eventually cut through his fear. 

“You’re alright.” a female voice said. “We have you and you are safe.” 

“Safe from what?” that was Rocket...Tony remembered that voice. He also remembered the female voice. She’d been leaning above him before he’d been sedated. 

He tried to speak; the gelatinous thing in him, however, wouldn’t allow any sound out. The woman seemed to understand what he wanted. 

“That’s a medical creature, your lungs are badly misshapen and whoever beat your ass almost caved your chest in.” she reported. “Your arm is also busted and you won’t be able to walk on your left ankle for a while either.” 

That was bad; that also meant that he could have died in Siberia if whomever these people are that rescued him - hadn’t come in time. That was a sobering thought. It kind of bugged him; he thought for sure that maybe it hadn’t been that bad. That Steve was just incompacitating him “enough” so that Bucky and he could get away, but…..

“You would have been dead in half an hour.” the woman said. “My name is Gamora, earlier there was Peter, with us is Rocket and Groot. Drax is shining his swords.” Gamora said. 

Tony simply nodded. Since he couldn’t talk. “Just rest here.” she said. “Peter will explain everything to you once we’re at Victor12.” 

Tony stilled. What is she talking about? 

“You’re in space numb-skull.” Rocket said. 

Tony definitely did NOT like that idea at all. And did his level best to claw at whatever was inside him; if the first panic attack was mild, this one in comparison is not. 

~*~

Gamora climbed onto Stark and held him down while Rocket quickly got a cuff on the human’s working limbs. He was too limp and weak to push Gamora off him. She didn’t care that he accidentally pushed at a boob. It was clear that he was panicking. This is half the reason Peter had put a blindfold on Stark to begin with. He didn’t know how’d the human would take to the others; nor how he’d somehow been taken from Earth. Peter remembered how shocking it was for him and definitely wanted to gentle Stark into the ideas first. 

Stark wasn’t cooperating with her; the added weight made it worse, he was trying to scream. But all that’d come out of the medical jelly was moaning. Rocket got Starks free/uninjured legs coupled to the medical cot and she was able to stick him again with a more mild sedative than before. 

In seconds his body is limp; She’s breathing hard and turns to the door as multiple sets of running feet could be heard. 

“W-what happened?” Peter asked, slightly out of breath. 

“Stark woke up.” Gamora said. “We were fine until Rocket told him he was in space.” she glared. 

“No sense in orbiting a planet.” Rocket shrugged. 

Peter frowned; “It’s fine. I’ll work around it.” 

“I think he’s damaged in the brain.” Gamora said. 

“Huh?” 

“He woke up like that too. I got him to calm down. But we shouldn’t let him be alone when he wakes again, he’ll hurt himself.” she said with a tight look about her eyes. Something worried her. Peter could tell. He didn’t know how to ask without sounding dumb; instead he decided to just let her figure that shit out by herself. 

“Okay, good plan.” Peter nodded. “I’ll stay right now if you want.” he offered. 

~*~

It’s two more sleep and wake cycles before Tony Stark comes back to himself; again. Tony lies still, just allowing wakefulness to come as it may. His head feels clear. His body hurts though; everything is throbbing and feels as if it is on fire. He takes a deep breath; blinks his eyes open to…..

Nothing….

Tony turns his head a bit. Feels rough fabric scratching at damaged skin. He tries to raise a hand to relieve himself of it, something rattles and his hand only moves an inch. 

“Hey….it’s okay…” the voice from before….

“You’re?” Tony says, voice slightly gruff. 

“I’m Peter Quill. We rescued you.” Peter replied. “You kinda met Gamora and Rocket.” 

“There are more?” Tony asks. Feeling the anxiety creep up. 

“Yeah, two, Groot and Drax. We aren’t gonna hurt you. We’re actually trying to get you stable before we get to Nodrion.” Peter said. “Gamora said you panicked or something when Rocket told you…” 

“I’ve gotten abducted by aliens.” Tony said, interrupting Peter. 

Peter is silent for a moment; “Well, I guess!” 

Tony laughed; “for real? This isn’t some stupid Hydra trick is it?” 

“What’s a Hydra?” Peter asked, sounding genuinely confused. “I don’t know what that means, but I do know how it was when I got abducted by Yondu.” 

“What’s a Yondu?” Tony asked. Mimicking Peter. 

Peter laughed; “Yondu is a person, my father-figure if you will. A kinda shitty one but he’s okay now. Kind of.” Peter spoke fondly of this Yondu fellow; “Just be careful when you meet him. He might just eat you.” Peter laughed again. It but be some inside joke Tony wasn’t getting. 

“Okay, so back to…” Tony took a deep breath. “I’m actually in space and this isn’t a trick? I am blindfolded why?” 

“I didn’t want you to freak out, which is why we also cuffed you to the bed, well, my bed.” Peter said, somewhat awkwardly. “The Nod’s are epic lame when it comes to their things being tampered with.” 

“Now hold on a second…”   
“What?” 

“Are you SELLING me to these….whatever they are?” 

“No and yes.” Peter replied. 

Tony took a deep breath. “Listen, Peter. When I get rather angry I start getting destructive. So you better tell me what the FUCK is going on before I decide to do something you and your crew will regret in just about five seconds.” Tony explained through gritted teeth.


	2. God and Medicine take no Mercy on him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony gets an explanation. Peter gets called out by Gamora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was HELL to work on. I didn't get any snazzy idea's while doing carts at work and I was kinda stuck on the whole "slave" thing. Hopefully I've explained this stuff and have set up plot for further chapters. It's not all gonna be flowers and bedroom games. This might morf into BDSM stuff too.

**_~*~_ **

**_Chapter 2 - God and Medicine take no Mercy on him_ **

**_~*~_ **

 

Nodrion is a hop skip and a jump away from Earth; well, if one’s engines worked perfectly and you had the correct jump coordinates and did the math correctly. Interstellar space traveling is  _ dangerous _ with an expert. A Newbie would launch the ship into a supernova; Rocket just so happened to be their expert; he only did that once and right beside a star coming to the end of its life; as a April Fools day joke. 

 

It will take them five jumps, two weeks according to Earth Standard Time to get to the dying planet; their sun star had been a brilliant flame of gold for thousands upon thousands of years. Even though their ancients had said it would soon go into a supernova and take Nodrion with it….no one had listened, and now they are months away from said explosion. 

 

The cult of Wora the Sun goddess/god had kept track of the sun’s movements; and had predicted the End. As they called it when The Guardian’s had spoken to them of Tony Stark. Well, more or less they to him. 

 

Peter remembered being shown to a white room, decorated sparsely. The Nod’s were a sect of a long extinct religion that’d crash landed on the planet. And eventually grew into their own society and culture. But their rules had stayed the same. And everyone was peaceful. No one wanted to actually leave. No, they wanted a protection. A rich culture. They were able to cultivate and build a nova-shield. It would deflect the star’s End. but, they needed power afterwards to make certain that their planet didn’t fall lifeless without the sun. Huge domes dotted the land as far as Peter and others could see in the room they were hosted in. Large windows looked out at glorious mountains and a river that cut the main city in half. 

 

The tall, blue-grey creatures walked leisurely about. There is chanting in the not so far off distance and the ringing of a deep gond like thing. It reminded peter of a Buddhist Temple he’d been to with his mother back on Earth. They had spent a week in Japan before her cancer had gotten very bad. 

 

Explaining this all to Tony, even before getting to the important parts took time. But Peter wanted to work Tony into the idea. He knew the man by reputation only. The Nova Corps hadn’t wanted the Guardian’s to bring the inventor to Nordion. Peter remembered that conversation all too well. They did so anyway with slight permission from Nova Prime. Who gave it only because the Sentient’s of Nordion were technically in danger. They could survive for no more than half an Earth Year without power. 

 

Tony Stark had the answer to unlimited power. The Arc Reactor; which the space community knew only a tiny bit about. Since Earth is cut off from them legally, they only heard what the Nova Corps had released. That Tony Stark had blown the Chitauri up with an Earth Based bomb; it was their main fleet. And so the space community didn’t need to worry too much about Thanos’ army any more. Unbeknownst to Earth. Thanos only had himself to destroy it. 

 

Tony visibly relaxed at that; “One baddie with a magical gauntlet? Yeah, we can handle that.” he said. 

 

Peter didn’t look too certain but Tony couldn’t see him anyway so what did it matter if he agreed? “Sure you and your team can.” 

 

Tony cringed. “Yeah sure….them.” he turned his head away. His body aching like one big, sore, bruise. They sit there in silence, until something dawns on Peter. 

 

“There isn’t a team anymore, is there?” 

 

“I wouldn’t know.” Tony mumbled; he took a long sigh. “What contract did you sign? And what will keep these sentients from keeping me after I give them my arc reactor tech?” Tony asked. 

 

“Well, you just have to make the blueprints and show them how it works and they’ll build it. Then we take you home.” Peter said. 

 

“That’ll take a while.” Tony muttered. “Maybe six months.” 

 

“So you’ll do it?” Peter asked hopefully. 

 

“Do I have a choice?” 

 

“You were going to die in that bunker.” a gentle touch to the side of his face accompanied the words; “Your chest was caved in, our bone repairing machine hardly works as it is. Rocket had to boost its power and now it’s dead for sure. You’ll feel better in a bit. Maybe, a break from Earth would be good for you, and your team.” then Tony heard Peter move, the sound of the door swishing open. Then closed. And the sound of something clicking. 

 

~*~

 

Peter sighed. He never knew Stark to be so…..defeated….it disturbed him. The man lay somewhat placidly despite his threats to take the ship apart. Not that any of them would let him do it. They were stronger than humans anyway. Sure, the others were somewhat stronger than Peter as well; but he made up for it in exuberance. 

 

Stark needed motivation; that’s what. Peter stalked away from the room and joined the others in the lounge. Rocket and Groot are, of course, fighting, Gamora is rummaging around for food cubes and Drax is teasing Mantis again. 

 

“How’s he do this time?” Gamora asked. 

 

“He didn’t  try to hurt himself.” Peter replied. “But something happened back on Earth that he isn’t feeling good about right now.” Peter hummed. “I think….it has to do with the Avenger’s team we hear about out here.” 

 

As far as anyone was concerned, the Avengers is strictly an Earth defense force; with the laws pertaining to Earth - or Terra - no one bothers it at all. It’s a protected planet. Except from alien’s like Thanos who’s killed millions upon millions of other sentients and destroyed worlds just for a goddess who isn’t interested in him. 

 

“Are we still taking him to Nodonians?” Drax asked. 

 

“Their planet is dying and they’ve made us space Billionaire's several times over. Of course we are.” Peter sighed at Drax. “and besides, that means we can make Gamora happy by not charging so much for our fee.” 

 

“Nothing at all.” she corrected. 

 

“Why’d you put “space” in front of Billionaires?” Mantis asked. 

 

Peter grimaced at her, then remembered; “Oh that’s right, just getting our guest comfortable, forgot is all. Anyway. Let’s make this trip fast. And where’s the food cubes? I need to put some meat on that boy’s bones….” Peter muttered as he walked past Gamora. A pot stewed on the stove behind her. But Peter knew it wouldn’t be the type of food Tony could keep down. Food Cubes are pretty bland and the lime one’s refreshing if they’re new. 

 

“He’s older than you Peter.” Gamora smirked. 

 

“And?” Peter asked. 

 

“You just called him  _ boy. _ ”

 

“Well, he’s the first human I’ve come into contact with in a long time, forgive me if I’m a bit…..weird about it.” 

 

“And him.” Gamora added. The other’s weren’t interested in their conversation, in fact Groot and Rocket hadn’t even stopped bickering since Peter entered the main room. 

 

“Okay, yeah…” Peter huffed in agreement. Gamora smacked him lightly, it made his teeth shutter a bit in his head from the vibrations wafting up his arm from where Gamora’s smack had landed. It was meant to be a love tap, but every so often she “forgot” to watch how much strength to use. 

 

“Don’t hurt him.” was her only warning. Peter just blinked at her. She turned back to the pot she’d been tending for their dinner. She didn’t cook often, but when she did they all knew there was something special to look forwards too. 

 

The real question was, why was she so concerned about Peter hurting Tony when she hardly even knew the guy in the first place? 

 


	3. Poisoned his blood and burned out his throat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony Stark starts making deals, he risks himself and Peter Quill is a mother hen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry about this update. I feel badly that I've left this fix on the back burner. Work is ramping up, or when has it slowed down? I dunno. but I made it to cashier, so mostly no more thinking while I do carts. lol. anyway. please enjoy.

~*~

Chapter 3 - Poisoned his blood and burned out his throat.

~*~

 

Dark…..and cold………

 

The howling of the wind sounds more like a ghoul crying it’s heart out because it’s death had never been avenged; Tony could definitely relate to that. He thought. His last vision of anything will be Captain America standing above him, denting his chest in with the Shield Tony had made him. A vibranium shield that in the hands of one Steve Rogers was a weapon of mass destruction.

 

The man appeared now; Tony gasped and tried to roll away but he couldn’t his suite would work. He was stuck and the shield was coming down. The Item meant to Protect is now being used to harm…..

 

It’s coming, and quick. Tony closes his eyes….knowing that this will be the last breath he can take before he gets cleaved in two….

 

“Tony! Wake up!”

 

He takes a gasp of breath, he doesn’t know what is going on. Only that Steve isn’t above him. He’s not lying on the cold, hard floor of the Siberian bunker and there’s a Racoon pawing at his face.

 

“W-what?”

 

“You had a nightmare, dumbass.” Rocket growled at him. “And you woke me up.”

 

“What? Sorry, Rocket….” Tony had learnt from banter he’d heard echo to his room that Rocket hated being called a “racoon”. So avoided it. He decided the best way to go about this situation was to make friends. Until he could escape, somehow, and get back to Earth.

 

Someone had to keep it safe, and that person was not Rogers. That dick.

 

“You kept asking someone to stop.” Rocket now sits on the bed beside him. Tony finds that his ribs hurt like fuck with each breath he takes. He must have jostled them too much while trying to react to Rogers murdering him in his dream. “Who were you telling that too?” Rocket asked.

 

“Steve Rogers.” Tony sighed into his hand. He hated these night terrors, usually they weren’t about the cold; but another set of caves set far away in a desert. With a man who’d give his life to protect Tony.

 

His real Hero, Yinsen.

 

“The idiot with the shield?” Rocket asked.

 

“Eh? How’d you know?” Tony asked.

 

“We have a bit of footage from when the Chitauri attacked New York.” Rocket replied. “The galaxy as the whole are simply impressed with you taking that nuke up and getting the attack fleet. It set Thanos’ ass back a few years. But we still have to stop him.” Rocket muttered unkindly.

 

“Oh. but I thought Earth was off limits…”

 

“It is. Just sometimes the Nova Corps puts stuff out. The flight you took was one of them. We found the wreckage and recovered other footage. The red/gold armour is hard to miss if you know what you’re looking for.” Rocket kicked at the air.

 

“Ah….thanks.” Tony muttered through his hand, a bit embarrassed from his nightmare to actually look at the enhanced mammal.

 

“Anyway, you want some water?” Rocket offered.

 

“Yeah, thanks.” Tony lowered his hand.

 

He missed Rocket putting some tablets into a tin cup. The water was cool on his tongue. And surprisingly - in seconds - he was asleep again.

 

Rocket sighed; “Stark, you’re an idiot.”

 

~*~

 

He’s a hard man to love; Tony knows this. But he had thought that after Afghanistan he’d become easier to love. Pepper and Rhodey seemed less annoyed, at times, and he could always count on them. He loved them, and Happy. To be honest, he never actually loved Steve the way he does for those three.

 

They’d always been his reason to keep on going. Because they needed him. Pepper and he may be better off as friends than lovers; that would never change what he felt for her. And their time together is cherished.

 

Rhodey will always be a brother and Happy his salty/bumbling father figure. Happy never knew it, but there were times Tony made decisions just by the thought of the look of disappointment on Happy’s face after his life changing decision to become Iron Man.

 

And now…...he had a much bigger decision to make; despite the Guardian’s of Space rescuing him from that bunker, Tony needed to figure out if his Arc Reactor Tech could work on a different planet. He had never actually thought of that; he had assumed that planets each had their own type of….stuff…..not exactly like earth, but more like…...Star Wars. He cringed at that thought. He’s a futurist and all he can do is base real planetary stuff on a hokey science fiction series that Disney turned into a cash cow?????

 

Lame.

 

However, he had - once or twice - tried to come up with a working lightsaber. It isn’t doable with Earth’s technology. Especially when he was a kid. So the plastic one’s just had to do. Sadly. Either way this did not stop his brain from taking the alien technology into account and coming up with an alternate to his arc reactor.

 

But, before he laid that piece of information out to anyone, he had to make a deal with the Nova Corps; they seemed to be the ones in charge around here. The Guardian’s had a slight interest in the galaxy, but they were also mercenaries. And Tony knew how to work with that type. Usually, throwing money at them fixed it. Only problem was that he didn’t have any.

 

Tony wiggled his leg. Rocket had gotten the bone knitter to work again; his ribs and leg were feeling better yet no one wanted him to walk on it quite yet.

 

He’d woken to a slight drug induced headache, and spent the last five seconds thinking. The light was dim and he heard the rumbling of the space ship’s engines. He needed a look at those.

 

Finally Tony propped himself up on his elbows. He needed to do several things. Take a leek. Call Pepper, and the Nova Corps and then the dying planet. If the Guardian’s are gonna make some money by “kidnapping” him, well, gosh darn if he won’t work out his own deal. Thank you very much.

 

~*~

 

Irani Rael frowned minutely when she was informed about who was comming her; “Stark?” she asked.

 

“He wants to talk to the Galaxy Police Force, at least, that’s what he called us.” her aid replied. He shrugged and handed her the headset. She turned to a screen. The man that met her is indeed Tony Stark; he looks weather beaten, with a few bruises on his face and along scratch his tired eyes take her in with a bit of interest.

 

“You look as if you are going to keel over at any moment.” Irani mused.

 

“I swear I am feeling better, but I have a few questions and it seems that from what Quill was telling me that you’re the person in charge?” he asked.

 

“Well, I authorized you being picked up because a planet is dying.” Irani replied. “But we are far from being the Galaxy’s police force.” she corrected.

“Is it because that planet...what’s it called is in your star system? Listen, I’ve mostly got Earth Science Fiction BS to go by, so I’m flying blind here.” Stark blinks at her.

 

“Well, we do have a trade treaty with the Nodrian’s.” Irani replied. “And they’re going to lose their home, we don’t have the ability to help them but it’s a genocide that politically will make us look bad.”

 

Stark rolled his eyes; “Really? The inability to help a planet when their star is gonna explode is seen as a genocide?”

 

“I agree. However, the Guardian’s simply insisted on getting you and from Quill’s report, he said you were in a rather bad way and had asked me to report that to the Nod’s. He doesn’t know the whole story and I couched it to them gently. They’re slightly worried.”

 

“I would be to if I invested billions of Space money into a person like me as a last ditch effort to save my planet.” Stark huffs, “and he reports to you? So they work for you?”

 

“No, just for the galaxy at large, whoever can pay them.”

 

“So, on the off chance that I get a hold of these Nodian’s, you think it’d be fine if I make my own deal? I have no real promises about getting back to earth after I do this, and I am a busy man back home.” Stark said.

 

Irani rolled her eyes, from what the more tech-savvy worlds could gather, Tony Stark is richer than most star systems. Of course he would look to make a business deal, and seeing as how the Nodian’s were rather well off. Irani didn’t see the problem in it, also, he’d go ahead and do it anyway.

 

“Tell them it’s pay back for not just contacting you in the first place.” she smiled.

 

“Thank you, Nova Prime.” Stark saluted. She smiled and cut the connection. She could see why there were fandom’s dedicated to the well being of this Teran Male. Even though their conversation was brief, she had the overwhelming urge to speak to him again.

 

~*~

 

Calliroe blinkede bulbous, dark green eyes opened; the beeping on their comunications unit broke into her meditation like the buzz of a fly. Sighing, she floated over to the unit and hit the button. She gasped when on the screen before her, Tony Stark, appeared.

 

“Hello, do you speak Earth?” Stark asked.

 

“I do.” they replied. “Are you the Human Male, Tony Stark?” they asked.

 

“I have to say no one has ever asked me that question in such that way, but short answer is yes I am. Are you the Nodian in charge of my acquisition?” Stark asked.

 

“I am.” Calliroe replied.

 

“Good, because listen. My tech and services aren’t free. So while you do have to pay the Guardian’s for my physicalness, you have to pay me for my brains.”

“Of course.” Calliroe replied. “Let’s talk numbers.”

 

~*~

 

Peter finally rolled out of bed when he couldn’t hold his bladder anymore; it was the middle of the sleep cycle and he’d been bunking with Rocket and Groot. Who were both snoring. He made his way to the small Fresher; he knew that wasn’t what it was really called, but he’d read it in his Star Wars comic books and eventually Yondu stopped correcting him about it. Finally realizing that using a word for the bathroom from a fictional universe where space travel was a thing, happened to be part of Peter’s coping mechanism with his new life with the Ravagers.

 

He heard something being smacked in the near distance; metal on metal. He made his pee break simple and fast. Not forgetting to wash his hands on the way out, and closing the lid for the girls.

 

He followed the sounds until he found Tony in their small junk room where they’d put his armour. He sat in the midst of the dirt and oil grime smashing something back into shape.

 

“What are you doing out of bed?” Peter asked. He surprised Stark. Who jumped a little bit at Peter’s sudden entrance.

 

“Work,” Stark huffs, “what else would I do?”

 

“Rest? Or is that like a taboo on Tera?” Peter asked.

 

“You know it’s not.” Stark turned and gave Peter a look that said Peter couldn’t be THAT dumb about Earth Society.

 

“I have to admit I’ve been away long enough that if it doesn’t pertain to my childhood when mom was alive that I don’t know it.”

 

“Ah.” Stark nodded. “Welp, it’s not changed much. Gay is  thing, Trans is a thing, people like to be Politically Correct even when it actually doesn’t help people.” Stark said. “But over all, Earth is Earth.”

 

“Nice to know.” Peter nodded. “Now, back to bed.” he walked forwards and took Stark’s tool away from him.

 

“Are you joking?”

 

“Your leg and ribs are still brittle, dumbass.” Peter said. Gently picking the older man up. “You need to rest, the bone knitter needs to do a few more treatments on you before you can actually do anything worth merit.”

 

He gently walked the ship, making sure he didn’t jostle his precious cargo. Wait? Precious? SINCE WHEN?

 

“I am not breakable.” Stark mutters.

 

“Yes you are.” Peter glared at the other. “And you know it.”

 

Stark has the decency to look away, cheeks reddening. From bashfulness or anger Peter can’t quite tell. “You were almost killed in that hell hole.” Peter continued. “And now you’re telling me you can’t break? What is wrong with you? Who “broke” you?” Peter asked as he put Tony back in the bed.

 

“I’m tying you down.” he frowned.

 

“I won’t get up again.” Tony frowns back. “It’s just…..it’s how I deal with things, I work.”

 

Peter stretched and sighed; “I understand, this must be heavy for you.”

 

“Darn right.”

 

“Let’s make a deal.” Peter said. “If you stay put and let the bone knitter do as it’s supposed too….I’ll bring you something to work on.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Genius like yours can’t be contained. I think that’s what the other Teran’s don’t understand about you.” Peter shrugs. “But yeah, I think I got some tech around here that you can make plans on.”

 

“Fine, but I also need to fix my armour.”

 

“Okay, but after we heal your bones. You could have broken your leg again just by walking on it.”

 


	4. Enough is Enough, he is a long way from home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finally arrives at the "dying Planet" - the Guardian's have no idea why, but Peter decides they need to prove themselves to Tony with Pet Names.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel horrible, but I always keep forgetting about Mantis even though I do in fact like her in GOTG2.  
> also, I am also sorry we won't be getting GOTG3 anytime soon after they fired the director but I think they should give it to Jon Favrou anyway. 
> 
> And sorry about the super horrid updating schedule thing for these fics. Work is so LAME. but I wanted to get this up today and actually I'm slightly happy with how this turned out, I had SOME of it already written. I'll also be updating the Pepper one too. hopefully today. After a lunch date with my BF. :) 
> 
> So please enjoy.

Pepper could have screamed when the name “Tony Stark” popped up on her stark-phone. She fumbled with it for a short second before hitting the green button. “Tony?”

 

“Hey pep, it’s me, your boy. Listen, this isn’t a  live connection. I’ve been abducted by these people called the Guardian’s of the Galaxy. Anyway, another superhero team. That’s not the point. The point is that I am…..uh? Alive. Obviously. Also, Rogers and Barns tried to kill me. Granted that was after I tried to kill Barns after finding out that Hydra used him to kill my parents. I’m not being very clear here. There’s a lot to unpack….” the message cut out for a second.

 

“But, I wanted to let you and Happy and Rhodey know that I am alive, and I’m going to try and be back soon….I’m supposed to go help a “dying planet”. I guess their sun-star is about to blow the fuck up.”

 

Pepper groaned. “Tony.”

 

“I know, I know…..but don’t worry. I’ll come back a Space Billionaire.” Tony seemed to have known what her reaction would be. “Love you Pep.”

 

The message cut out completely; “Love you too, Tony.” Pepper muttered even as she called Happy. Rhodey will be next. No more super secret Russian spy missions for him.

 

~*~

 

“Is that all the message said?” Rhodey asked. He’d spent the last week searching every Hydra bunker Shield had a file on; Rhodey isn’t certain if this news that Tony got abducted by aliens makes him feel better or worse about this whole situation. It was like Afghanistan all over again.

 

“What are we going to do?” Happy asked. Quite used to being mediocre security at best. But, Tony held some high respect for him.

 

Pepper gave them both a harsh look; “We need to see if that bunker has any image files. I think we can at least get Rogers extradited if T’Challa knows we got some dirt that will really ruin relations.”

 

“Is that our best plan?” Rhodey asked.

 

“They’re already on Twitter trying to get public opinion to sway in their favor. We can’t produce Tony.” Pepper replied. “We haven’t any leverage.”

 

“Can we have Vision hack into the bunker?” Rhodey asked.

 

“Vision is with the bot’s. He doesn’t really seem all that interested in what the outside world is doing.” Pepper sighs. “Friday?”

 

“Yes, Boss lady?”

 

“Will you please see what you can do?”

 

“Already done.” a large project screen slid from the ceiling. The fight is gut wrenching, and makes Pepper cry. But no one asks for it to stop. Friday doesn’t heed Pepper’s sobbing.

 

“That’s…..bad.” Rhodey said.

 

“We have a lot of power with this.” Happy sat next to Pepper and took her hand. “Maybe we should wait.”

 

Pepper nodded. Twitter was a trash can of a media site anyway.

 

~*~

 

Azolla stood on the landing platform; above them - the large dome that would protect Upper Galom from the supernova - sparkled radiant greens, reds and golden as the light shifted from glowing rocks their people had mined over thousands of years. The robe they wore glittered as well. She wore the White of the upper Galom Tribe. The first of their ancestors to set foot on Noida.

 

The Milano is due to arrive in the next few moments. Azolla folded their hands against their midsection; blinking at the dome until it opened. The ship made a nice decent, barely jaring itself. Or scraping the dome, which was rather fragile if one wasn’t careful.

 

The message that Tony Stark had been injured back on earth had not made the Galom Council happy; but knowing that Stark had gotten himself into the fight before hand - that the Guardians of the Galaxy had technically saved him - went a long way to keep relations civil

 

Azolla was chosen along with Calliroe to deal with the visitors; Calliroe - being of a lesser sect - wasn’t allowed to attend this Greeting; but later they would join them.

 

Star Lord rambled down the deck with a badly put together hover chair holding one Tony Stark who looked rather put out about it. His leg was in a cast. Nova Prime’s message wasn’t lying about the state Stark was in; in fact, Azolla assumed he was on his deathbed. But going by the frown the Teran Male sported, he was feeling better.

 

“Greetings, Mr. Stark.” Azolla floated forwards to meet the visitors. Stark watched, rather taken aback. They knew that Teran mythology surrounding aliens abounded with a lot of imagination. The Nordian species had made it a point to find all the information they could on Teran’s mythos. The fictional genre of Science Fiction is possibly what Stark was going off of; based on him plastering a fake smile on his face.

 

Doing his best to seem as if this was just another day in his life; well, from everything else they had gathered on him. It probably was.

 

“Nice to see you too.” Stark held out a hand. The Nordion gave it a glance, before reaching out to grasp it with their own three pronged appendage.

 

“Greetings in return.” Azolla replied. “Now, we have a Healing staff on standby. We won’t allow you to start until we know you are well.”

 

“What about the supernova?” Stark asked. Azolla dropped is hand and gilded back. Behind them, several more dressed in light blue robes hovered. With a far more advanced medical bed.

 

“We don’t expect you to be hands on, we have most of it built. Based on plans we gathered before we contacted the Guardian’s.”

 

“So, half the work is done?” Stark asked.

 

“Indeed.” Azolla nodded their head. “Now, we’ll get you settled in the medical wing, and the Guardian’s in the visitor’s wing.”

“Wait, they’re staying?” Stark turned to Star Lord.

 

“Of course we are, we’ll take you home after we save the planet.” Star Lord smiled. Stark looked surprised for a hot moment, then it passed. Peter pretended as if he didn’t see that pass over Stark. He wondered why Stark felt that way.

 

“Ah. I see.” is all he’d commit too. He couldn’t ask questions now, it wouldn’t be polite. But he’d have to get Stark to talk eventually.

 

~*~

 

Peter didn’t know why it bothered him; it really shouldn’t have. It went without saying. That the Guardian’s would take Tony back to Earth. When it was mentioned he looked...worried? Or surprised? Or? What?

 

“Did they have to tie him down?” Rocket asked from a comfortable looking couch. Everything in the room is white and gold. Peter feels as if he’ll dirty everything if he even touches it. Everyone else is lounging, not too worried about some weird Teran anxiety.

 

“He didn’t think we’d take him back.” Peter said. Rubbing at his semi-hairy chin.

 

“What does that have to do with making sure Stark stays in bed?” Gamora asked.

 

“Nothing.” Peter sighed at her. “But that’s not the point.”

 

“What is the point?” Drax asked.

 

“I am Groot.” their little tree buddy was on Gamora’s shoulder, she was petting him while she sipped some tea.

 

“You think Stark can’t depend on people because of whatever happened to him back on Teran?” Rocket said. Not everyone understood Groot.

 

“I am Groot?”

 

“You’re just guessing.” Rocket frowned.

 

“I think he’s right, haven’t you noticed how standoffish he’s been? And he snuck away to contact Alpha Prime and the Nods, he didn’t want us doing it for him.” Peter said. Remembering that evening several days before.

“Well, I wouldn’t trust us either.” Gamora said. “If someone I cared about tried to kill me.” - she looked away, thinking about Nebula. She’d done her sister wrong as a child. If only she’d done better and protected Nebula from Thanos more - that maybe she wouldn’t have turned out so….well…..there really wasn’t a word for that.

 

“So what are you going to do about it?” Drax asked. “The Iron Man seems to have it handled.”

 

“He doesn’t.” Rocket rolled his eyes. “He’s woken up more from nightmares than actually slept. The Nods had to put him under with their fancy medicine because he couldn’t rest.”

 

Peter continued pacing as the others discussed the problem; but, it wasn’t really a problem. Stark isn’t a problem, he just….acts like it because everyone treats him that way. Even the Nods seem put out by his presence. But they were a very heavily insular group of Alien beings, it made sense but only if you grew up amongst interstellar society.

 

Peter had an understanding that Stark didn’t.

 

“Okay, so we’re gonna have to be more trustworthy.” Peter said.

 

“Oh?” Gamora gave him a raised eyebrow. He didn’t quale at it, though, which meant that she’d have to find another way to be salty at him.

 

“We’re gonna have to….I dunno. Make nice and try and be his friends.”

 

Drax grinned; “I can show him the ways of my People!”

 

Peter didn’t balk at that, long stories might actual help Tony go to sleep; “First thing on the agenda is to use pet names; friends do that.” he said.

 

“Pet names?” Rocket groaned. “If anyone calls me anything it better include explosives.” he muttered.

 

“What are Pet Names?”

 

“Kind of a shortened version of someones longer name, or something that their friend associates with them.” Peter explained.

 

“Ah.” Drax nodded as if he understood. Peter figured he might have….he wasn’t certain.

 

Just then Mantis entered the room. Drax smiled at her. “Ah, Ugly1” he said.

 

She smiled, “You call me that all the time.”

 

“That is because it is true, and it is a pet name. It shows that we are friends.”

 

Peter smacked himself upside the head. Gamora thought he deserved a harder one but refrained from doing so. Which would have meant letting Baby Groot nap on the sofa instead of her shoulder. And abandoning her tea.

 

~*~

 

“Hey, Stardust.” Peter grinned as he walked into the medical room Tony had been set up in. He looked as if he’d just woken up.

 

“Quill.” Tony replied.

 

“Peter, please.” the other said, and he set a tray by Tony. “I know this food looks weird, but it’s edible and filling.”

 

A bowl of white liquid sat on the grey tray. Looking Steril and impersonal. But something that looked like bread lay next to it and all Tony could equate this to was soup. He sat up, and Peter put the tray in his lap.

 

“How are you feeling?” Peter asked as he sat down in an impersonal chair. Everything about the room was blank and it was giving Tony the hee-bee-jee-bees.

 

“Better. They fixed my chest.” Tony said.

 

“Yeah, I was wondering…..why’d you get hurt like that anyway?”

 

“It’s a long story.”

 

“Good because I like long stories.” Peter sat back looking comfortable.

 

Tony sighed. He didn’t REALLy want to let his heart out onto a stranger, but, maybe he could try.

 

“My friend decided that his past was more important than the future, and refused to listen to a word I said or anything from other people. In the end we had a fight when I found out someone he knew killed my folks. He almost killed me with his shield.”

 

Peter blinked. “Okay, you’re gonna have to try that again.”

 

Tony sighed, he had a few bites of soup as he gathered his thoughts and then launched into the story. It took a while to summarized the whole of the situation. But by the end of it….Peter looked constipated.

 

“I’m sorry.” Peter finally said. “I also killed the man who murdered my Mom. I get why you’d attack Barns.”

 

Tony hadn’t been expecting that. He’d been expecting a lecture on how he was in the wrong, how Captain America was right and that he should have followed the man even if it meant pissing on 117 countries who had the right to tell them where to get off the elevator.

 

“Thanks….” Tony finally muttered.

 

“Sure, I mean, what type of friend would I be if I sided with that asshole?” Peter joked.

 

Tony almost cried into his soup. He missed Pepper, Rhodey and Happy. And now Peter is making an effort to help him. Him? Why?

 

“Tony? Stardust?” Peter moved over to the bed and put the soup safely away so it couldn't get saltier from Tony’s crying. “It’s alright.” Peter pulled Tony into a hug. Being careful not to hurt the smaller man.

 

Tony clung to him, sobbing for real, not holding it back. Peter simply held him.

  



	5. days of my youth wasted on a selfish fool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calliroe and Azolla are up to no good; because of course they are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my bid to try and give Mantis a bigger roll in this fic; because I totally forgot about her. Also "Mud martian" is a term that just means someone is dirty. Like they rolled in the dirt. it isn't to mean anything "racial" so please do NOT read it as such. It's kinda like calling someone "stinky" in RL.

Tony fiddled with the small arc reactor; he sat in a lab located next to the “shell” the Nodoan’s had put together. Four fang like things hanging in mid air, each point touching. Help up by its own gravity generator; it was simply waiting for a miniature arc reactor. Since that’d be easy to transport from earth instead of one of Tony’s bigger, factory working reactors. 

It was technically in a thousand pieces. This one being shattered by the Shield; he refused to think on all the little details that went along with that. He took it apart; he discarded the parts that wouldn’t work and began looking around the alien technology. 

Funnily enough Tony realized that he could make a highly more powerful arc reactor just by switching materials. As he went through the calculations in his head. He figured that the minerals and materials on Earth weren’t up to snuff to what the Reactor could actually do. Or become. 

As the science settled in his brain, Tony picked pieces and put them together. He didn’t know how much time that took or how long he’d been sitting there. Or if anyone had come to check on him. 

Eventually though, he had a sleeker Arc Reactor. The blue light glittered and Tony clutched it to his chest. It had been born out of desperation and the need to be “free”. It was made to keep him alive. It almost killed him. The Arc Reactor is his biggest achievement and his biggest weakness. 

He’s always had a heart. It just took getting nearly killed by terrorists and the death of Yinsen to help him see that money isn’t everything, that his friends and his family are everything. That he has a job to do. And that job is to protect Earth. 

And now it dawns on him. Why should he have to wait for the threat to reach Earth? Well, he hadn’t had a spaceship before. Now had he? And how hard would it be to build a spaceship anyway? 

~*~

Peter blanched when Tony broached the subject; of course he was more wealthy than the Guardian’s at the moment due to the deal he got with the Nod’s. Of course he could get his own ship. And he could go off and face Thanos….but…

“By yourself?” Peter asked. 

“No one else is going to do it.” Tony replied. 

Peter shook his head; “No, no, this is nothing but a bad reaction to your former team betraying you. That’ all this is. I mean, if you really want too, I won’t stand in your way but…...take a few days to think about it?” he asked hopefully. He had this overwhelming need to keep Tony safe. It wasn’t his job and Tony didn’t need him to be that way, but Peter felt it nonetheless. 

Tony cocked his head at Peter; “You actually care, don’t you?” 

“Well, you did cry on my shoulder. I figure after that we’re friends.” Peter smiled gently. “But you’re gonna need some fire power with Thanos.” 

 

~*~

Azolla bobbed his head at Calliroe; “You came.” they said to the other. Calliroe smoother her robes out. Unlike the gold and silver of Azolla’s higher cast robes; her’s were the simple blue of her cast. Not a serving Cast, but still, lesser. 

“And why not?” Calliroe asked. “Did you think I would be a coward?” She glared. Azolla was not put off, not even angry. He gave her a sly smile. Sharp teeth glinted in the harsh lights of the hallway. It was empty, they were alone but they still spoke carefully. 

“You won’t like what I will do to you if this fails.” He said. 

“And you won’t like what I’ll do to you if you let it fail.” Calliroe said. “I did my job, I got the human here. Now you have to keep the ruse going.” 

“I know that.” 

“Than stop acting like a mud martian and do you job.” the epithet was child’s play for their species. Yet, it struck as Calliroe had intended. 

“Fine.” Azolla grumbled. 

A few meters away and hidden behind a wall - quite perfectly the writer may add - stands Mantis. Her atenie quivering with anger. 

~*~

Tony slouched against the couch when the oddly looking Mantis entered his room; the blueprints shone above his face in holograms. He was meant to be sleeping. 

“What’s up?” Tony asked, the room is slightly dark. The only glow is from his plans which he is still designing as she took a seat in the chair next to his bed and turned on a light on the wall. 

“Something is wrong.” Mantis replied. 

Tony saved his progress and put his gauntlet down. He sat up so that he could give Mantis is full attention. She couldn’t look at him. Not really. 

“What happened? Did someone try to hurt you?”

“No…” she shook her head. “But, Calliroe and Azolla were talking. I was exploring the compound when I heard voices so I stopped to listen.” Mantis looked at him briefly but when he didn’t lay into her about dropping eaves - like Peter would have - she went on. 

“Calliroe was saying something about getting you here and that was her only job and that Azolla had to keep the play going. Or something. She used a word….Roose?” 

“A Ruse is where somewhere is tricking other people to make them think one thing is going on while a different thing is actually happening.” Tony explained. 

“I had wondered but I thought I was just reading them wrong….” he hummed. 

“Say, Stardust…” Mantis said. Tony looked back at her. It was weird that she was now calling him that. “I won’t let them hurt you.” 

“I know you won’t Mantis, but you gotta be careful too. Okay? Drax will be mad if anything happens to you. I know he calls you a lot of things, but to him, you are the most beautiful star in his sky.” Tony winked.   
Mantis giggled; “He says I am perfectly ugly in every way and that nothing can compare to me.” 

Tony shook his head; he had found the one female in the whole of the galaxy that thought being called “ugly” was a compliment. “The two of you have a weird way of flirting with each other.” is all he said.


End file.
